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Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Nothing is Impossible

She’s here!!! We watched my due date come and go and after 26 hours of labor she finally has made her appearance.

Elizabeth “Ellie” Anne Vogel was born on at 5:19pm on May 9th,
just in time for Mother’s Day! She weighed 8 lbs 7oz and was 21.5 inches long.

I will have to write another post soon about her birth
because I don’t want to forget it, but I wanted to explain the meaning behind the
name we chose for her.

Coming up with her name was a bit challenging! We wanted to choose something that was
meaningful and relevant to her story. We wanted her to have a name that
reminded people of all that God had done to bring about her sweet little life.

Her middle name, Anne, is one that has been passed down in
my family. It belongs to me, my sister, my mom, my grandmother and great great aunt.
It means “full of grace.”

The Hebrew meaning of the name Elizabeth is “God is my
oath.” We really chose this name though because of the person Elizabeth in the
bible. If you read in Luke chapter 1, you will find a familiar story of a woman
who is older in age that is barren. Elizabeth and Zechariah were unable to have
children. Zechariah was a priest and scripture says they were both, “righteous
before God walking blamelessly in all commandments and statutes of the Lord.”
However, they did not have any children and Elizabeth was advanced in years.
The bible doesn’t tell us everything that Elizabeth faced because of her
barrenness or the feelings she might have had, but I along with many others can relate to her. She had probably resigned herself to a life without an heir, without
children to raise. She watched those around her bear children and felt she would never have that joy. Her and everyone around her knew it was impossible for them
to conceive a child. But God had other plans.

He told Zechariah through an angel that Elizabeth would
conceive and they would have a son. This child would grow up to be John the
Baptist and he would do great things for the Kingdom. The angel says that they
would have “joy and gladness” at his birth and many would rejoice!

Continuing on in the chapter we see the story of Mary finding out
that she will miraculously carry Jesus in her womb.When she questions how it can be, the proof
given to her is that her relative Elizabeth is also carrying a child.

The angel says:

“And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also
conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.

For NOTHING will be impossible with God.”

Reading this passage of scripture is what solidified this
name for us, because I too was barren. I too faced impossible odds when it came
to conceiving a child. We were told that we would most likely never be able to have
children naturally because of the extensive cancer treatments I had undergone.
In those dark days when we didn’t know if I ‘d live to see my next birthday,
becoming parents definitely seemed impossible to us!

But we serve a God who
does the impossible! He loves redemption and restoration and shows us over and
over again throughout scripture how he makes things new. He brings light to the
darkness. He literally brings life from death! These miraculous acts remind us
that just as we are dead in our sin, God can bring us new life through His Son
Jesus. He was dead on the cross, pierced for our transgressions and on the
third day he rose again!

God is so faithful and can do the impossible! That is what
He did for us with our little miracle baby. I pray that her life continues to
bring much joy and gladness to all who know her. I pray that her name would be
a precious reminder to her and all those around her that God did the impossible
when He died for our sins and rose from the dead. I pray she would grow up knowing that there is
always hope and that her life is a precious reminder of that truth.

About Me

Hi there! My name is Leslie and I am the creator of this blog. My life has taken some crazy turns these past few years. I married my amazing husband on July 16, 2010 and moved from my home in Marietta, Georgia to Knoxville, Tennessee. In April of 2012 I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. After 6 months of ABVD chemo, my cancer is not gone and I am facing new treatments in 2013. The good news is, I serve a God who is incredibly loving and powerful and bigger than any illness! I use this blog to update my family, friends, and church community and share what God is teaching me on this journey. Hopefully, it will be an encouragement to you!